Many vehicles in use today, as, for example, off the road vehicles and trucks, employ two or more wheels of the multiple piece variety as opposed to so-called "drop center" wheels commonly employed on passenger cars. While the actual construction of a multiple piece wheel may vary to some degree, they are characterized by a wheel rim that includes at least one removable rim flange which is placed upon the rim after a tire has been installed on the rim. A bead seat band is then located within the rim flange and includes a flange employed to retain the rim flange. The rim includes a first peripheral groove near one side thereof for receipt of an O-ring seal and a second groove axially outward of the O-ring groove which receives a resilient lock ring. The O-ring creates a seal between the bead seat band and the rim while the lock ring bears against a flange on the bead seat band to hold the same in place on the rim when the tire is inflated.
When a tire is installed on or removed from the rim, it is conventionally necessary to move the bead seat band axially inwardly on the rim so as to achieve access to both the O-ring groove and the lock ring groove so that an O-ring may be installed or removed and the lock ring installed or removed.
Typically, relatively high forces are required to move the bead seat band axially inwardly on the rim because of forces resisting such movement imposed upon the bead seat band via the rim flange from the side wall of the tire. Moreover, ready access to the grooves in the rim, particularly that receiving the lock ring, is required to allow easy access to an installed lock ring or to install a lock ring because of the resilient nature of the same.
Servicing large tires is particularly cumbersome because of the weight of the wheel and the weight of the tire. Moreover, such servicing may be performed at remote sites and the environment at the remote sites may make the job even more cumbersome.
Thus, there is a real need for an improved tool for use in installing or removing or otherwise servicing a tire mounted on a multiple piece wheel and which is of relatively simple and inexpensive construction but sufficiently sturdy so as to be long lived in spite of rough handling and use in hostile terrains. The present invention is directed to meeting that need.